


All This, and a Cat

by WasJustAReader



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Family, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 18:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4574853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WasJustAReader/pseuds/WasJustAReader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CJ reflects on how far she's come since her "Without this job, I have nothing. I don't have a cat" days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All This, and a Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so the idea for this actually came from a gif set of the scene in "Dead Irish Writers" in which CJ laments the fact that without her job, she has nothing, not even a cat. Originally (and still) posted on fanfiction.net in July 2014.

Danny walked in to the bedroom and found his wife curled on her side at the foot of their bed petting the cat, eyes closed.

"See, I told you the critter would grow on you," he chuckled, sitting down beside her.

CJ just muttered something that might have been tacit agreement before sighing, "It's soothing. The petting. Is Kat down?"

Danny smiled. "Yeah, we read a couple of books and she was out like a light. Didn't even ask for mommy to come and do the voices in the dinosaur book."

CJ opened her eyes to smirk at her husband. "Wow, you must be getting better. I do make the best dinosaur noises ever, though. According to our four year old."

"Okay fine, she did ask for you, but I told her mommy's tired and would read to her tomorrow."

CJ rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the cat purring under her hand.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, CJ rolled over so she could meet Danny's eyes where he now lay on the bed behind her.

"You know, this reminds me of a night… I think it was during the first term. At Dr. Bartl– Abbey's birthday party. She, uh… wasn't in the best of moods, and walked up behind me and said – very firmly, I might add – 'Claudia Jean, let's get drunk.'"

Danny laughed loudly, causing both the cat and his wife to give him disapproving stares. "Well, what'd you say?"

"I said the only thing I could say! 'Yes, ma'am.' This was my first lady requesting my service. I grabbed the glasses."

Danny chuckled – quietly this time – and brushed a stray piece of hair out of CJ's face. He knew this story had a specific destination and he was ready to wait as long as it took for CJ to arrive there.

"So, there I was, getting wine drunk in the residence with Amy Gardner, Donna, and the first lady. Though, come to think of it, I don't think Donna had anything. Abbey was feeling… useless without her medical license – this wasn't that long after the MS broke – and I told her that she still had so much of value in her life. Her job wasn't everything. I said 'Look, they take this job away from me, I've got nothing. I don't have a cat!' I said that I could get one, but I wasn't really wild about them and let's be real, I was hardly ever home to take care of plants, let alone a breathing fur ball. I supposed that I might be able to learn to like cats, but here she was, with a home, a husband, kids…" CJ trailed off, clearly deep in thought.

"Ceej?" Danny murmured.

"Hm?" she sighed.

"You have a cat."

CJ smiled, though her eyes were glassy. "I know. And a home. And a husband. And a stinkin' cute kid. Smart, too."

Danny didn't say anything more, just leaned in and kissed her. When they broke apart, CJ sighed and rested her head on his chest, simply enjoying his presence.

The moment was interrupted soon after by a whimpered "Mama?" from the doorway.

CJ was up in a flash, scooping her daughter into her arms. "Hey baby, what's the matter? How come you're not in bed?"

"I can't sleep," the little girl whispered into her mother's ear.

"Can't sleep?!" CJ exclaimed, mock offended. "Well, we'll have to do something about that, won't we? Did daddy do the dinosaur voices wrong? Is that what it is?" she asked, winking at Danny – who rolled his eyes – over their daughter's head. "C'mon baby girl, let's get you tucked back in."

Danny watched as his two favorite girls disappeared down the hall to his daughter's room, a smile on his face. "Look at that, Claudia Jean, you got the cat and so much more."


End file.
